not hold one's breath

== English == === Etymology === Suggesting that if one were to hold one's breath while waiting for the expected event, one would die before it happened === Pronunciation === === Phrase === don't hold your breath (idiomatic, imperative) Don't wait. Said cynically to suggest that what has just been mentioned is unlikely to happen soon or at all. ==== Related terms ==== breathholding with bated breath ==== Translations ====